About WSPA

Who Are We?

The Western Sport Pilot Association LLC was formed originally as the Western Powered Parachute Association in 2004 primarily to create an organization to manage the Western Regional Powered Parachute Championships. This event was the first formal powered parachute competition in the Pacific Northwest and drew 25 final participants.

As the sport of powered parachuting continued to grow we recognized the need for an organization focused on supporting the ever-increasing number of participants. The mission of the WPPA was therefore expanded beyond the single championship of 2004. That same year the FAA Sport Pilot rule was adopted. And our organization grew to respond to the needs of well over a hundred pilots who required support in their transition to sport pilot.

In 2010 the WPPA recognized the value of connecting with other organizations, pilots and instructors who are flying other category and classes of light sport aircraft. The structure and organizational philosophy of the WPPA was already proven successful and a decision was made to “do business as” the Western Sport Pilot Association.

The Western Sport Flying Association now has affiliate staff members that include:

We provide training from introductory lessons through the FAA Certified Instructor course and private pilot ratings in all categories. Our flying is year-round in some of the most beautiful areas in the Western United States.

The Western Sport Pilot Association is affiliated with EAA Ultralight Chapter #127. This EAA chapter was formed, partly with the leadership of the WPPA, to provide social support to over one-hundred sport pilots who fly predominantly in the Pacific Northwest.

Where Are We Located?

Our primary N.W. training facility is based at Arlington, Washington. We have affiliates and training locations in Oregon, California, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. The N.W. Flight Training Center where we conduct our accelerated training courses is located at the Arlington Airport, Arlington, Washington. The airport is located at the foot of the Pacific Cascade Mountains and situated just east of the shores of Puget Sound.

Arlington is conveniently located about ½ Hour north of Seattle Washington. The airport has a dedicated ultralight area that provides wide open areas in which to safely train. The surrounding area provides incredible territory to fly over and you will certainly enjoy your cross-country training with flights to Puget Sound and back.

The N.W. Light Sport Flight Center is situated directly in front of the ultralight field. This makes managing our training even more convenient for everyone. There is no need to haul equipment anywhere. We just open the hangar doors each morning and begin your training experience. If you want to camp out at the airport, please let us know ahead of time so we can reserve you a space.

Much of our training is “mobile”. Our instructors are present at events throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. And they coordinate with our EAA UL Chapter 127 to insure that training is available at nearly all of our events.